Companion to The War in the Pacific
by BabaGannouj
Summary: The nuts and bolts behind my interpretation of Endwar's WW3.  I will discuss the technology behind my stories and the various facets of WW3 not mentioned in the game, beginning with the War in Space.
1. SPACE

EWP: The Theaters of War in WW3

In 2020, war spreads across the globe in a way never before seen. Old battlefields are revisited with the new tools of destruction. The seas churn with battle above and below the waves. The air is cut and re-cut with missiles and jets, but it is no longer the high ground. Orbit has replaced the skies, and the control of space is vital to the war below. But this is the first war in space, so what would it look like?

Firstly, there would be a lot of civilian satellites in orbit. They could be used in a few ways; to relay signal, act in military functions, decoys, or simple kinetic weapons. Any resource already in space is valuable.

Non-combat Military satellites would also be in orbit. These include GPS, reconnaissance, and communication sats. They are prime targets, and their destruction hinders AGS (air ground and sea) efforts.

SLAMS: The satellites that comprise the anti-nuclear network. Control of these is vital to maintaining a regional nuclear defense.

Combat Satellites: A new and up till the outbreak of war, secret undertaking of most of the major powers. Many have defensive and offensive satellites operating in space. Some are disguised, some are stealthy, some are manned, such as the Freedom Star.

SpaceCraft: Space Shuttles and Soyuz capsules are a thing of the past. Military spacecraft come in two flavors: Lifting/maintenance, and combat. Only a few powers have operational combat spacecraft operating in orbit. The advantage of manned space flight is the freedom to act without control signals/AI control.

WMD satellites: Namely the European Orbital THEL (lasers) and American Kinetic Rod systems. Extremely valuable targets, usually closely guarded.

Uplink Stations: These hardened facilities are massive transmitter/receivers that are effectively unjammable. Designed to resist extreme concussive force, natural disaster, and sabotage, they are extremely redundant and powerful systems. Control of an uplink translates to space superiority in that sector due to signal dominance.

The battle for space


	2. US Space Command

The War in Space: America

In 2019, the US decides to create a new branch of the military to reflect the growing importance and independence of space-based operations. The US Space Command's first mission was to complete the Freedom Star.

The Freedom Star is a massive space station designed to be the lynchpin of the American's orbital defense grid. Essentially functioning like an uplink in space, its command and control functions were designed to orchestrate any orbital conflict independently of groundside support. The Freedom Star is only at 30% operational at the start of the war, owing to the destruction of the Freedom IV lifter. Still, it is immensely important to American operations in space, and as a symbol.

The Freedom Star is largely unarmed, with only a few point defense weapon systems in place. The defense of the F-Star falls to a network of defense satellites made up of three main varieties. The first layer of defense is a shell of Jamming satellites whose role it is to interfere with detection systems attempting to target the F-Star. The second layer of defense is a layer of point-defense satellites whose role it is to destroy or deflect incoming missiles meant for the F-Star. The third line of defense are 'bouncer' satellites; massive satellites used to shield the F-Star in a last resort. The Freedom Star itself has limited maneuvering ability and can 'dodge' some attacks. Similar defenses are employed to protect the Kinetic Rod Deployment Satellites, America's main offensive capability in space. The Rods are well protected, but still vulnerable, and are only deployed in extreme circumstances.

America's vast network of military satellites, once its unique military advantage, has been beset on all sides. Over 75% of American satellites have been neutralized, some destroyed outright, some damaged an non-functional, and about 7% captured by enemy forces. Many of these were older models, not cut out for the new generation of warfare, but this was regardless a bitter pill for the new SpaceCom.

America's space advantage had seemingly evaporated overnight with the advent of war, but the new generation of satellites was already being put into place. Defensive satellites went up to defend critical communications and recon satellites, while deadly offensive satellites struck back.

A typical American offensive satellite is the "Shrike" DS-4. The Shrike is a disposable attack satellite, not meant for reuse or recovery. Many kill-sats (Killer satellites) early in the war are similarly one-use. The Shrike is three meters long, two meters wide, has a stealthy design, radar array, onboard battery power, and a simple ballistic flechette gun as its only armament. It is meant to maneuver close to its victim and discharge the flechette gun at close range to eliminate the target before moving on to its next victim. The DS-4 can operate free of command signal on its own initiative, systematically disabling all nearby targets until it is no longer effective. The usual tactic used in a Shrike attack is to send it into enemy territory with whatever list of targets can be provided and to switch on the automated attack protocol.

America is still constructing durable killsats alongside the ultra-secret "Project Caravel", a manned combat space vessel designed to act as the command and control locus of a swarm of killsats. Both the durable killsat and Project Caravel are still in development in 2021.


	3. EODF

The War in Space: European Federation

The European Orbital Defense Force was founded within weeks of the formation of the Federation itself. The Orbital Defense Force's first directive was to establish the Space-Based Tactical High-Energy Laser network, to safeguard against the growing threat of the Russian Federation and its expansionist policies. By 2020, four platforms were fully operational, with another 3 under construction in orbit. Many smaller satellites were launched at this time, many of which were nominally for the defense of SLAMS stations in orbit. By 2020, Europe had launched four-hundred cutting-edge military satellites, and although heavily outnumbered by American satellites and significantly outnumbered by Russian satellites, European satellites held a distinct qualitative advantage over their rivals.

While not as stealthy as American satellites, European birds possessed better sensory, communication and control systems. European satellites were not as dependent on ground control systems as their counterparts, and operated from the start as a unified network. When war finally broke out, the EODF killsats enjoyed a kill ratio of 3.2 to 1 for the first month against American and Russian models, although this ratio has fallen off as the war progressed.

The ability to operate in the absence of an uplink gives EODF satellites a resilience not found in the satellite fleets of the other powers. Even the temporary fall of an uplink on the ground usually carries with it a heavy toll in space; not so for European satellites, which are able to maintain near-peak efficiency for weeks after the loss of a local uplink. This in turn translates to reduced casualties in the ground campaign.

The ASM-13B is a typical European kill-satellite. Two meters in length by 1.5 meters, the ASM-13B is solar-powered, and has an impressive detection suite. The 13B destroys dangerous targets with guided missiles, which have a comparable quick reaction or 'draw' time. This allows the 13B to pre-empt enemy killsat attacks. It also has a secondary attack. The 13B maneuvers alongside its targets and uses a high intensity shock prod to overwhelm the electronics of its victims. Since the attack does not expend ammunition, the 13B enjoys a much longer lifespan than most other killsats.


	4. Russian Space Forces

The War in Space: Russian Space Forces

The Russian Space Forces are the inheritors of one of the longest space-based military organizations. Despite intense funding struggles after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Space Forces have survived into the new century and thrived with the massive influx of Russian petrodollars. Long gone is the venerable soyuz capsule, replaced with modern delivery systems and even the first dedicated combat spacecraft ever launched.

The Russians have a robust local network of satellites, a mix of older models and a massive influx of fresh new satellites designed in a flurry of recent activity and launched beginning in 2018. By 2020 and the start of the war, Russia had 75% of its next-generation system in place, and 90% of its first-strike capability. At the beginning of the war, Russia was in an excellent position to launch attacks against American and European systems. American losses to Russian kill-sats in the first hours of the war were massive.

The Russians have also launched the first combat spacecraft, the ворон, or Raven. The Raven has a crew of three, and is equipped with a variety of anti-satellite weapons. It is excessively stealthy, probably the lowest detection-rating in any vessel or aircraft. It was highly controversial during the design and construction process, coming in highly over-budget, but managed to get in orbit in time for the first strikes against the European satellite network, downing ten satellites in the first hour of the war and paving the way for Russian ground forces to force their way to the outskirts of Warsaw within the first week of the war.


End file.
